Various writing devices for storing handwriting have been suggested in the past, using stress sensors and CCD sensors (refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,774,602 and 5,215,397). However, the present invention differs from these inventions, in that triangulation is used to calculate and identify the position of the writing device, by means of data provided from RF or acoustic transmitters and receivers.
The heart of the present invention relates to a writing device, such as a pen, for recording handwriting on writing medium, and storing the handwriting into an internal memory. The handwriting may be subsequently exported to a computer. The writing device is readily portable and lightweight, and is eminently useful for a user, one advantage being that it eliminates the time spent transcribing notes into a computer.
The writing device comprises a cap that includes a plurality of RF or acoustic transmitters and a pen that contains numerous RF or acoustic sensors. The RF or acoustic transmitters emit signals that are received by the RF or acoustic sensors, which signals are subsequently sent to a microprocessor. The microprocessor monitors the location of the pen, as the user is writing, by performing triangulation techniques. A constant reference of the cap to the pen is essential for the triangulation and identification of the exact positions of the pen as a user is writing.
The pen also comprises a storing means for sequentially storing the handwritten data which data is obtained by the user applying pressure with the pen on the writing medium.
Both the cap and the pen are equipped with batteries that provide internal power supplies to the same.